Coral Costa Caribe Information

The Coral Costa Caribe Hotel is a delightful modern hotel set in a secluded area; its beautifully landscaped grounds are bordered by the gorgeous sandy beaches of the Caribbean coastline. Coral Costa Caribe, is a wonderful option if you’re looking forward to celebrating an event or simply taking a well deserved vacation.

The hotel looks old from the outside, but once you go in the lobby is nice. The grounds are beautiful. The pools are very clean. The beach was not over populated and clean. Lots of beach chairs. We didn't have to reserve one in the morning. The staff was very friendly, with the exception of some of the front desk reception. A few of them were very rude. My husband is a picky eater, but he loved the food. There was alot of choices, and if you were missing home the snack bar had fries, pizza and chicken wings that were very good. Our room wasn't 5 star quality but we weren't in it often. We didn't have hot water at all the entire stay and one day no water until supper time. But we had a great vacation. The food would make us go back again.

Room Number:
1441

Room Block:
Main Building

Arrival:
The men at the reception were friendly when we arrived. They upgraded our room to an oceanview when we told them it was our honeymoon. The bellhop took our bags to our room and was very friendly. They explained very well where the restaurants were.

Rooms:
I was a little disappointed when we first walked in our room. It was not modern or colorful. The bathroom had little bugs crawling on the counter. Bur we did have a king sized bed. We had two balconies that looked out onto the beach and the ocean. There was no fridge in the room, but when we asked for one they brought it to us.The television had alot of english channels, as well as spanish. If you are picky about pillows you should bring your own. They weren't good. The maid kept the room very clean everyday. We didn't use the safe and not one thing went missing. We even accidently forgot to close our money container one day and not one cent went missing. The shower didn't have good pressure and it was cold everyday.

Restaurants and Bars:
Ambar Buffet- Excellent variety. For breakfast you could have an omlette made in front of you. There was alot of variety to choose from. Try the guava jelly on their homemade rolls. Delicious!!! Their pasta was good. My husband loved their pork and chicken. Pepper was hard to find though.
El Fogon (Dominican)- My husband loved this restaurant. Being a vegetarian, there was no main course option for we there, but the appetizer buffet was delicious.
Santa Fe grill (mexican)- This was our favourite. It was open air. Good atmosphere. Good food. Very friendly staff and bartenders
La Rigoletta(italian)- The food was good and the atmosphere was nice, but the staff was so rude we did not return to this restaurant. The wait was long getting in, then after our meal we went to sit and join friends at their table for a bottle of wine and they tried to tell us to leave and go outside to wait in line again.
Mango's (snack bar)- The pizza and fries were good. My husband loved the chicken wings. But the burgers and hot dogs looked sketchy so he didn't try them

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach was very nice. Clean, white sand. Lots of pretty shells if you look. There were lots of chairs and not alot of people. There were quite alot of topless women, so if you are taking your children keep that in mind. There were alot of vendors. They were nice and open to bargaining. If you want to be left alone take a book or pretend you are sleeping and they won't bother you. The water was nice. There was a big stretch of beach so if you wanted a little privacy just go outside the roped in area a little ways.
The pools were pretty and looked clean. We did not swim in them because we liked our privacy. The only downside was that they closed at 6 pm.
The grounds were beautiful. Lots of trees, bridges, fountains and a waterfall

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Wewent kayaking on the resort, but we weren't adventuroud enough to go out past the reef. the waves were big out there, but the reef broke them so it was a calm ride for us. We also went snorkeling on the resort. We saw a few pretty white fish, but that was it. We found alot of pretty shells close to the shore though. They ahd water polo in the pool everyday. wWe didn't play, but it looked like fun
We went on thre excursions of the resort. The first was a trip to Catalina island to go snorkeling. We LOVED it!!! We took a boat across to the island, which was beautiful. The drinks were free, the snorkeling was great (take an underwater camera or you'll wish you had). Our second trip was horseback riding. It was only a 10 minute drive from the resort. They took us to a cave on horseback. It would have been a fun trip except for the fact that the horses were so skinny I was scared it would collapse under me. Our last trip was the jeep safari tour. It lasted 12 hours. We went to a sugarcane field, a small town to go to the market, and a church, we went to a local home where they showed us how they made coffee, a waterfall, which was beautiful, a cigar making demonstration, and finally a school. It was a very informative trip. There were lots of local children. We took lots of gifts for them. They went crazy over the hot wheels cars and play doh

Other Comments:
It was a good trip aside from the cold shower. Unless you are just going for a tan I would suggest going on at least one excursion because there's not alot to do during the day. The casino doesn't open until 8. It's not worth going to anyway. The drinks are not all inclusive inside. They have no texas hold em, just 3 card poker, carribean stud and black jack for card games. I am a poker player and I was severely dissapointed in the casino.

Our first impressions of this resourt were not great. We arrived at the
resourt from the airport after midnight. The bus nearly tipped over getting into the driveway. Careful walking on the roadways, great ankle breakers.
The first room we were given smelled musty and also of mildue and the doors didn't lock. One only had to slide the sliding door to gain entry into our room. My wife found this unacceptable. She went to the desk to complain and we were given another room in a different location in the hotel. The second room was a lot better but the air conditioner didn't work. She called the desk and complained again and we finally got an acceptable room. Finally got to bed before 3AM.
The outdoor areas of the resourt are very well maintained and clean. The walk ways to the beach clean and comfortable. Girls please note that heals are not a good type of foot wear to use. Sandles are better. Helped pick a few up that fell and broke their heals. OUCH. Nasty bruses and cuts.
We found the staff very outgoing but language barrier was an issue with most staff personnel. English is hardly heard but, French, German, and Russian were the main languages spoken. Spanish of course was the language of choice. Only met one American while we were there.
Staff kept our room clean and comfortable, but we suggest that you lock up your luggage to prevent theft of your belongings.
Overall, The meals were not first rate and please be careful on what you eat. Some of the chicken and pork wasn't cooked properly. Blood on the meat or raw meat. The pasta was good and there was also a good variety. If you just came for the sun and weather, this is the place for you.
If you expected 5* at a 3* this isn't the place for you. This resourt was over rated as a four (4*). Not even close. Cheap vacation yes. Three and a half, four or Five star? NO. Not even close.
Our next trip will be booked with a travel agent and not online as we did this time. I booked this trip and appoligised to my wife for my error in judgement.

Rooms:
First Room, Near beach area
Musty, mildue, wet floors and plumbing that didn't work or shut off.
Second Room
Nicer and in a better location on the resourt.
No air conditioning.
Third room
We were finally given a International Vacation Club Room. Was time for bed.

Restaurants and Bars:
Rigoletto Pasta Club Italian. Very good service and food. Nice salid bar.

Santa Fe Grill, Mexicana poor quality and service.

El Fogon Dominican. Not bad. Terrible steaks, stingy and cut the wrong way. Lots of gristle in the meat we were given. Water Buffalo?

Ambar Restaraunt. Where we ate most meals. Some of the meat wasn't cooked properly. Raw pork or blood runing out of the chicken.

Mangos Snack Area. How can you screw up french fries. Pizza was card board dough that removed the finish from your teath while eating.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Nice beach. They could find some sort of machine to remove the pieces of shell and coral from the sand. Some pieces were very sharp and cut my feet. Sitting area was either shaded or sunny. A bar closer to the beach area would have been nicer. A few more attendants on the beach would have been a nice touch. Many equipment items needing repair or replacement. Some are just too worn out to use.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Surfari
The best part of the trip. Now this is the way to view the culture of this country. Sorta makes you appreciate what you have at home.
To Nolitours The Hotel Staff Tour guide of this trip we thank you.
Mini Golf
This was the first time I ever played on painted green concrete. Careful how you hit the balls as the hurt when the come back at you. My wife sent a ball somewhere, I think into space. We looked for awhile and never did find it.
Like we will tell you all reading this take the good with the bad. Beer wasn't available anywhere near. Almost dehydrated while playing. Good thing it was only nine holes. If it had been 18 they would have had to being a streacher. No shade people.

Other Comments:
No white RUM. Like my beer in bottles. Stays colder longer.
Canadian Whiskeys would have been a nice touch to have at your bars.
Please consider PEPSI as a mix. Cannot handle COKE or their products.
Always nice to have a choice. No Pepsi products available in or on the resourt.
No ice machines or fridges in the rooms. One chair to sit on? Something wrong with this picture, I did bring my wife with me. Two coffee cups per room maybe would have also been nice as well. How about powdered creamer and white sugar for coffee in our rooms. Good thing we brought our own.

I have been to Coral Costa Caribe 3 times now. I have nothing bad to say at all about this resort, the people are wonderful, the food is wonderful, the resort itself is wonderful. I never had a bad experience in my combined 21 days there, which I think is saying a lot.

All three times I've traveled with my family who are part of the Vacation Club. I couldn't say enough about the company. They've been perfect. We've gone to other resorts, but I have to say, Costa Caribe is the best place to be a Vacation Club member.

Also remember, if you want everything to be perfect, you should have stayed home and done it yourself.

Please DO NOT STAY at this hotel. My friend and I were constantly harassed by the male staff and one crossed the line after I told him that I wasn’t interested. It happened on the beach in the middle of the afternoon on our third day. The employee, Francisco (sports and activities staff), rubbed his foot on my private parts while I was on a beach chair and he was sitting in the sand next to me. Not only was the action unwelcome it was intolerable and heinous. My friend and I immediately contacted management. We left the hotel after management did very little to resolve the problem (sent us a fruit basket and told us that we would not see that particular employee). The male staff at the C.C.C. were constantly making sexual innuendos and pestering us to leave the hotel with them. Customer Service Manager, Gregorio, refused to aid us in finding another hotel, refund our stay, or even pay for the taxi to our next hotel. He did however provide us a phone call to the States so that we could contact our travel agent for help.

Parents do not leave your daughters alone at any time at this hotel. Please don't even let them go do any activities with staff members alone! Better yet, stay somewhere else!

Our wonderful travel agent from Perx.com came to our rescue and was able to find us accommodation at the Oasis Hamaca in Boca Chica. It was wonderful, everything that the Coral Costa Caribe wasn’t, the food was ten times better, the drinks were equally better and the accommodations were impeccable!

Just returned from my first Dominican vacation. Had a great time! We have traveled to Cuba and Mexico numerous times but I must say Dominican Republic was amazing!

Your Arrival:
Rooms are hit and miss at this resort. If little issues in hotel rooms stress you out this resort may not be for you. We had issues with water pressure and temperature, as well as a temperamental toilet (this did not bother us as we do not travel for the hotel rooms). Safes are NOT INCLUDED and are a must!!! You have to pay $3.50 per night for use of the safe. Rooms are generally clean, but they were not the selling feature of this resort.

Rooms:
Rooms are hit and miss at this resort. If little issues in hotel rooms stress you out this resort may not be for you. We had issues with water pressure and temperature, as well as a temperamental toilet (this did not bother us as we do not travel for the hotel rooms). Safes are NOT INCLUDED and are a must!!! You have to pay $3.50 per night for use of the safe. Rooms are generally clean, but they were not the selling feature of this resort.

Restaurants and Bars:
The food here was great! The best food I have encountered at a resort yet! You do not have to book at the a la cartes, just show up (and be prepared to wait a little). When traveling in Cuba I usually experience some minor stomach issues, but had no problems on this trip. Great selection of food and 24 hour availability! Great bars and drinks. Very good bartenders and service.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach is very nice. There is a buoyed swimming area and a reef that is great for snorkeling (you get 1 hour free snorkel usage per person per day). The beaches are kept clean and there are lots of chairs and shade or sun areas available. There are vendors that are on the beach, but it is well controlled by resort security and they are very polite and friendly. There are 3 pools at this resort which are clean and beautiful. The pool beside the Mexican restaurant is a quiet oasis during the day as many people hang out at the 2 pools closest to the beach.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
The shows at this resort leave a bit to be desired however, there are pool tables, foosball tables, and a disco to keep you entertained in the evening. We always found something to do and had fun.
We did not go on any excursions but many people did and enjoyed themselves.

Other Comments:
One of the days we left our safe key in the room by mistake. When we returned to our room that evening $40 was missing from our safe. The maid was the only person who could have done this as our room was not broken in to. We reported this to the hotel staff and our travel representative just to let them know what had happened. It was our mistake for leaving the key in the room, but beware of maids with sticky fingers. This issue (as we expected) was not resolved in any way, but we learned a good lesson.
Overall this was a good resort. The staff are so wonderful and friendly! The service is very good and the food is great. If you are not too picky about your room and minor inconveniences you will have a good time at this resort. I would likely not return to this resort, but LOVED the Dominican and will return in the near future.

Arrival: Feb 2-9
After feeling we had been misled by GoTravel by reserving a 4* wildcard in "La Romana", then being driven out 1 1/2 hrs away from "La Romana" airport into Juan Dolio....we thought well, we'll take a go at it...even though it wasn't what we expected....the only thing that worked well was the check-in on the bus.

Rooms:
Absolutely disgusting...after first being loaded into an elevator that the doors didn't even close and really rusty, we were led down a maze of hallways that some didn't even have any lighting (kinda of freaked me out!), to opening our door of a room that was pretty sparse, dirty, and had a moldy bathroom. We thought we'd make the best of it, but things started to go wrong and went worse. No water at all (toilet empty)....moldy tiles and dirty bathtub....air conditioner that leaked in the room and on the balcony (unusable), bed bugs (itched to death at night), TV that didn't work (despite 3 different visits from staff)...To be honest, we go for south for the beaches not the rooms, but this was unacceptable for a 4*.

Restaurants and Bars:
Buffet was 1.5*, decorations around the salad bar were dirty carrots and moldy cauliflower. Didn't feel the refrigeration on the salads was sufficient as they were usually warm (MMMmmmm warm lettuce!)...and the few choices on the hot buffet were not really edible. Few meat choices....didn't even want to venture there. We went to the Dominican restaurant one night and I ordered Boca Chica fish, and what they served was a batter coated fish, deep fried, slopped on a plate (head and all). I ate that while watching the waiter seat a local prostitute to a table to wait for her date.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Wouldn't go near the pool and there was algea all around the sides, and the water was cloudy, and full of sticks and dirty bottom. Beach was decent, but the vendors became a real pain, I disagree with a previous review that said they leave you alone if you say no...well we were bothered at least every 5 minutes (by the same guy!)....Apparently it is illegal to sell wares on the beach on this island...but you could see that the beach guards (yes some with guns) were being paid off. Then of course the prostitutes....it was the only show in the evening to watch, before all the outdoor bars closed at 11:00.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Didn't hear or see anything but a game of horseshoes that was being played in a spot on the beach where a teenager just vomited (I'm serious).

Other Comments::
After spending our 1st night we approached our tour rep and told her we wanted out....so we only had to spend 1 more night before arrangements could be made for a transfer to another hotel in "La Romana"....that's a whole other review in itself as we didn't feel that our comments or feedback were being taken seriously. It is the first 4* hotel in D.R. in the 7 other times we've been there that was so bad "to the extreme" When you would go in the lobby, there were guests constantly requesting change of room, or a repair etc, it didn't make sense to us. So all in all DON'T GO, there are so many other hotels that go for the same price, even 3.5* would be better!

Arrival: Feb. 9-16
Arrival was good. All information, including card keys, towel cards and bracelet was provided on the bus, as well as map of the grounds, where room was etc. Very easy and convenient.

Rooms
Room was standard room on second floor. Basic, but clean and everything worked well. Beds were comfortable. No complaints.

Restaurants and Bars
Buffet served everything that you would eat at home. Beef, chicken, pork etc. fish, pasta, rice,potatoes done different ways including french fries, various fruits and veggies, and many types of desserts. Ate very well and had no complaints at all. Bars all staffed and service was good and friendly.

Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach was very nice. Sandy bottom and clean of excessive weeds etc. Pools were well maintained and full of swimmers, so they must have been good.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Took the tour to Santo Domingo. Reasonably priced and very informative. Stopped at a Dominican restaurant named El Conuco and had a traditional meal with music and dancers-absolutely great! Many other excursions offered. Animation staff always had people doing some kind of activity.

Other Comments
First and foremost let me state that these type of all inclusive resorts are not luxury resorts. People get hung up on the star ratings ignorant of the fact that all that they mean is that they receive stars for many factors and that they meet certain criteria. If you want the Ritz, spend your millions and go to a luxury resort, otherwise accept the fact that by travel standards and Dominican standards this is a 4 star resort. We had a wonderful vacation at this resort. The staff was always helpful and friendly. Remember, kindness begets kindness. I saw people demand and order like the staff were personal servants. Not a way to get kindness in return. We were always treated well, and have many good memories of the staff all over the resort. Oh and by the way. Quit complaining about peddlers on the beach. They are all over the island , at every resort trying to make a buck. If you don't want to buy from them, then all you have to say is "no gracias"! They will move on- get over it.

My advice, just go and enjoy the warmth and beauty of the Caribbean and don't fret the little things. If something pops up, just inform the front desk and it will be taken care of. Some people expect too much. Take it easy and just count your blessings that you can be in such a beautiful country, not missing winter back home. Have a pina colada and soak up some rays and relax.

Arrival/Check-out
Check-in (and check-out) went very well. The very nice check-in people spoke French (that surprised me!), English and of course Spanish.

Hotel
Very nice and clean. Very big complex. Very nice curb appeal.

Rooms
Previous reviews were unrealistic. This is a hotel in a very humid third-world country. Some complaints were ridiculous about quality of rooms, etc. If you want Marriot quality like in the States or Canada, go and stay there. The rooms were clean, simple and had no bugs, no problems with locking the patio or front doors (as was reported in earlier reviews). No mini-fridge as reported in the publicity, however, just ask for one and they'll deliver it. We had some mildew in the bathroom over the tub and around the fan (yuck!).

Bring your shampoo and personal hygiene items. The shampoo was terrible and no conditioner was available. I have an unruly lion's mane, so I need the good stuff!

Restaurants and Bars
One buffet restaurant and three à-la-carte restaurants (Italian, Mexican and Dominican). We ate quite well at all three à-la-carte restaurants. I L-O-V-E-D the Mexican. What I liked very much at this hotel was that you did not have to wait in line in the morning to reserve in advance your seats in the à-la-carte restaurants. First arrived first served. Also, in the evening, even though there was a dress code at the à-la-carte restaurants, it was not really enforced, except if you wear gym clothes, then you'll get turned away.

There are plenty of bars for everyone around the grounds. For the price of the hotel , I was impressed that the drinks were not watered down and, with tips, almost no juice at all! (lol)

Food
This is where the glitch was for me. The food was okay but not great. There was not enough variety, same four condiments/salads at lunch and dinner at the buffet restaurant every day, very limited choice in hot foods, very repetitious, I am not a meat stew eater with thick greasy sauce (there were a lot of stews) [this is why it is not a 4* for me]. However, at the grill of the main buffet restaurant (where they cook the eggs in the morning), there was great fish (if you like fish) and sometimes okay meat (way way too cooked for me; even if you asked rare or medium-rare, they still didn't get it right). The pasta bar was great: two to three choices of sauces for the pasta. I'm a picky eater, but I did not go hungry. I did manage to find something to eat. Warning: Everything is very salty. Taste before adding salt!

The food was the main complaint in my group and seemed to be the general consensus with those with whom we spoke. I don't drink wine, however, my companions told me that the house wine was "disgusting" (quote-unquote).

By the way, the WATER on the hotel site is ABSOLUTELY SAFE; not the one in the rooms though, as is very well explained in the bathrooms... they do provide you with 1 to 2 bottles each day in the rooms. The vegetables, salads, etc. are washed with filtered water. I usually get a little sick on any trip and I did not get sick here... Over the past few years, the management of these types of hotels put a lot of effort into making their premises safe for the tourists. I cannot complain about that.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beautiful grounds, well maintained, no bugs. Nice beach, it is kept clean of algea in front of the hotel, however, it gets messy when leaving the general area of the hotel until the next hotel. Long beaches to walk on. Beautiful picture spots. The water is not cristal clear like in Cuba or not as turquoise but it was okay. The pools are fine, one for activities and two for relaxing. I did not use the pool(s), I was there for the beach, the ocean and the palm trees.

Bugs
Like I said, not even a bug in the room. Very few on the beach. I am painfully allergic to the sandfly's bite, however, there were none there. I saw a few critters here and there in the evening, they don't bother you if you don't bother them.

Activities on and off the Resort
Plenty of organized activities on the grounds... We played volleyball and baseball. There were aerobics classes both in and outside the water at different times in the day, yoga, etc. There were also various group games organized on the beach.

Tours:
My friends took the Catamaran and snorkeling tour to Samala (I think) Island and said it was not worth the price they paid but said it was okay. I took the dune-buggy tour which takes you into the local sugarcane plantations and small villages for several hours. Sadly, in my opinion, it is not a real dune-buggy and more like a go-kart with big wheels. It was a fun and VERY BUMPY ride, even with the odd vehicle. Bring swimming goggles to cover your eyes, as the sunglasses they provide you DO NOT protect adequately from the dust emanating from the dune-buggy in from of you!

Evening shows:
Some were good, some were bad... it's a matter of personal taste.
Disco: We went there in the hopes to dance the Merengue, Salsa, Bachata... but there was only the pop/dance/hip hop music that the teens seem to enjoy so much... nothing for us 40-year-olds! The DJ was kind enough, upon request, to give us a few latin songs, but it did not last very long.

Shopping
There is a small street separating the hotel grounds in two and there are plenty of gift shops. The prices are great. I was impressed with the quality of the jewelry and the T-shirts. Worth it.
Note: You WILL be harassed by vendors on the beach. If you're not interested, just say no thank you and they go away. However, they sell nice things, and if you're interested, do bargain. It's fun.

Service
Service was terrible, even with tipping. There is one speed and it is "very slow". I understand we're on vacation but there's a limit. I am not complaining about attitude, they work hard, however, the clearing away of tables at the buffet was inadequate and slow... there were bizarre mix-ups at the Italian restaurant... whether at breakfast, lunch or dinner, we would run out of certain items and their reaction time was inadequate or sometimes nonexistent (in my opinion).

Baby/Kids Club
I did not notice if here is one, I don't think so; I did not see activities with kids.

Overall impression
I do recommend this hotel if you're not a picky eater. I do not recommend it for a two-week stay because of the food. It is a nice and clean hotel, very well-kept grounds, clean rooms, clean beach.

Arrival: January 26 - February 2
We had pre-registration and were given our room keys, towel cards, resort map, etc. on the bus from the airport. When we arrived at the resort a bellhop was ready to help us take our luggage to our room.

Rooms:
The rooms were modest, but clean and comfortable. I didn't go to the Dominican to stay in my room!
There wasn't a fridge in the room as described. But one was delivered shortly after I requested it.

Restaurants and Bars:
The buffet was wonderful. Yes, there were black beans, mashed bananas and chicken livers at breakfast. But you are not forced to eat them!!!! There were also, French toast, pancakes, eggs and omelets cooked to your liking, meats, fresh fruit, cereals, yogurt , pastries and bread. There was always plenty of variety at the dinner buffet. Every night had a different theme, i.e. BBQ, Asian, Spanish, etc.

One night dinner was served on the beach. Of course people complained about getting sand in their food. I didn't see any sand in MY food!
If you went hungry, then it was your own fault.
Sant Fe Grill, the Mexican A la Carte restaurant was fantastic. The Mahi-mahi cooked in coconut milk and tequila was amazing!!
Mangos, the snack bar served good pizza and had a good variety at lunchtime.
There was always plenty if great rum-based drinks at all the bars.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach was beautiful . Someone was always cleaning. There were plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas.Yes, there were vendors (as there are at most every resort I have been to) but if you told them you were not interested, they left you alone. However, you could get some great deals after bartering.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We went on the Gran-Safari. It was not the greatest tour I have been on. But the highlight of the trip was lathering up with mud and showering it off under a waterfall. Wonderful.
The nightly entertainment at the resort did not start until around 10 p.m. Of the 3 shows I saw , one was a fun night with audience participation . The other 2 were very well done with great dancers.
There were aerobics in and out of the pool. Aqua Gym was great fun!
We went to In Sense Spa for a Lava Shell Massage. It was one of the best massages I have ever had. The Spa was immaculate and the masseuse was polite and friendly. The prices were very reasonable.
There is a little strip mall down the road from the resort where you can get some great souvenirs...coffee, rum, wind chimes, t-shirts, etc.

Other Comments:
After reading some of the other comments, I wasn't sure that I had stayed at the same resort!!!
I found the staff very friendly and happy to serve. I guess if you treat people right...you get treated right!! The grounds were well manicured and there were people constantly cleaning up glasses, etc that the guests left laying around.
All in all I got what I went for....sun, sand, fun. Not to mention some great rum drinks!!!!!

Arrival: February 3 - 10:
We arrived at approximately 6:00 a.m. There were only two representatives working at the check-in counter which was not surprising at that hour. The representatives had very little english which did make checking in a little difficult. The one serving us took us outside and sort of pointed to where our room was. Luckily, they do not allow you to take your own luggage so we waited and followed our bags to our room.

Rooms:
Our room was definitely not a 4 star room. When we arrived, the air conditioning was not on and the room was extremely hot and humid. The bell hop turned it on and some lights. It was a bit of a shock due to it's condition, it was fairly clean but very old looking. We were on the first floor and anyone could have easily climbed onto our balcony. Thankfully the balcony door did lock at both ends. The curtain, however, did not come all the way across. There were no washcloths or handtowels in the room. In our room, the bathroom was divided - the toilet and tub in one area with a door and the sink on the other side of the door. There was only a small ceiling light in the toilet area and this made for very dark showers. We did not have a problem with hot water, but there was no water pressure. There was a sign on the lid of the toilet not to flush toilet paper but to put it in a waste basket beside the toilet. This was something we had not run into before, and I must confess we did not always follow this request, because the thought of not flushing the paper after a bowel movement wasn't something we could do. The low water pressure caused you to have to flush two or three times to clear the waste. The lady who cleaned our room was very pleasant but did not speak any english at all, so we had difficulty getting the linens we needed. She also made beds differently than usual. Many times, we would find the sheets on sideways and nothing covering the mattress at our feet. The resort seems to have a shortage of bathroom linens because many days we were not supplied with any washcloths or two towels. One day we didn't get a bath mat. We travelled with four other family members and they encountered the same problems in their rooms. On the positive side, we saw only one bug in our room and it was sprayed while we were there. Other problems we encountered: there was no refrigerator and when we enquired at the front desk, we were advised that we would only get one if one of us had a medical condition that required keeping medication cool. There were light fixtures in our room with no bulbs which made it very dim. Our television set did not work. We talked with the front desk about these problems two times with no results, so finally mentioned them to the representative of our Travel Company. We then got one light fixed, a refrigerator and a new television which did not work much better and had no hand control. The other thing we found annoying was the safe. It was probably 50 years old or older and you had to pay $24.00 to get the lock and key for it. So all in all, we found the room just passable but not what we expected in a four star resort.

Restaurants and Bars:
The buffet was very limited in choices. We ate breakfast there every morning. The omelettes or eggs were an everyday staple. No one went hungry but it was not what we expected of a four star resort. We tried lunch there one day, but there really was nothing we found palatable and, therefore, got in the habit of eating hot dogs and pizza at Mangoes (on the beach) everyday. The three specialty restaurants were great. We ate at all three (Mexican, Italian and Dominican) and enjoyed the food very much.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach was very clean and the water clear. We took advantage of the one hour a day free snorkeling equipment and found fish and sea urchins to watch everytime. There was a shortage of umbrellas and unless you lined up at 7:00 a.m. and fought the crowd you would not get one. There was an older man who worked the beach all day cleaning up garbage left behind by inconsiderate tourists. He would find you a lounge chair and drag it to where you wanted it and if he found a small table to hold you water or drinks he would also bring you one of them. We tipped him $1.00 and he tried really hard to make sure we had enough chairs for our group and two days even managed to get us an umbrella. The beach vendors are the same as other resorts I have been on. If you show no interest, they leave, but there are lots of them, so be prepared for some interruptions. If you purchase anything from one of them, I think they pass on the information and lots more will come to see you. The prices for the articles they were selling was cheaper than those same items sold on the beach in Punta Cana. We made friends with a few of them and they came just to visit us and gave us small gifts our last day there. I have no problem with vendors, this is how they make their meager living and anyone who travels to these resorts should be ready to be approached. A polite no is all they really need to hear.

Pools:
There are three of them. The main one is the newest and has a swimup bar. It has a beautiful waterfall feature and behind this is the jacuzzi. The pool was always clean and fallen leaves, glasses left by inconsiderate guests and any other debris were frequently removed. The jacuzzi was quite large and clean but too warm for my liking. There is a second pool a short distance away with a small bridge over it and another waterfall feature. It also has two small islands with palm trees and other vegetation decorating it- this pool is older than the main pool and has some cracks starting around the edges. There is a third pool across the road from the main lobby. There was no-one else there either of the two times we visited it. It was clean but very old and crumbly at the edges. Nice though to have a private pool and lounges.

The grounds were nothing special. There were some flowering bushes, and everything appeared well maintained. Not the breath taking beauty I have experienced at other resorts though.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We went on a snorkeling tour offered by the hotel. They took us about 20 minutes down the beach and landed the boat. There was a coral reef only a brief swim out and the number of fish and sea creatures we saw was great for only $20.00 US per person. We swam for over an hour and the guide did not rush us to return to the boat. He did swim out with us at first to show us the best spots and brought a couple of baby star fish to the surface for us to see and hold.

Two members of our party went on a horseback riding tour through a couple of small towns and along the beach and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Other Comments:
You know what you are getting when you enter the front lobby. Although the flooring and ceiling are beautiful, the walls need some repair. The only seating is wicker couches, with yellowed cushions and were not very comfortable.